Yazwa could hear shouts from the beach drift over the water as she sprinted across the deck to the side of the ship. Throwing her oar down first, she climbed down the hull to where Saiyun and Ru Talas were waiting on the turtle.

"What's going on?" Saiyun asked, shielding his face from the splash of the oars. "Bill just told me to have Ijose break the anchor line and start towing us out."

After fishing her oar out of the water Yazwa looked ahead. Bill was already most of the way to their ship. "Tsen came back, and now they know we're here. We gotta go."

"Where are Batro, Aven and Ji?" Saiyun asked as Cai and the other crew members climbed down the side of the ship. "Are they coming?"

"They're going to blow the powder magazine," Cai replied, pointing ahead. "Turtle’s full, the rest of you swim. Go!"

Yazwa patted Saiyun on the back. "Don't worry. They can take care of themselves. Bill needs our help now!"

With a few splashes of its flippers, the Ijose Turtle got underway with the other crew swimming in its wake. It crossed the short distance quickly, pulling up to the side of their ship. Yazwa's eyes glowed gold as she threw her oar onto the deck and followed it up as fast as she could. When she hauled herself over the railing she picked up her oar and wielded it against...nothing. The deck was empty, save for Bill’s wavery blue outline. "Where'd they go?"

"They did the smart thing," Bill said, pointing overboard as he solidified. In the darkness, she could make out two men swimming frantically for shore. "Keep watch, and let me know if we have any uninvited guests."

"Right," Yazwa said, turning her gaze towards the island. The beach was too distant to see anything with her sight, not even the firelight. Behind her, Bill barked orders to the crew as they hauled themselves out of the water. Cai ran down into the hold to see if his collection of pistols was still in his sea chest. The rest raced around, tending to the many ropes hanging from the mainmast.

"Don't unfurl the sails yet!" Bill bellowed. "Leave them rolled up! If something comes after us, it will cut right through them, and then we're dead in the water!"

"See anything?" Saiyun asked, walking up beside Yazwa.

Yazwa glanced at his pale, wispy outline before turning her attention back to the beach. "Shouldn't you be on Ijose?"

"I don’t want to be out there on my own. Ijose can haul us out of here without me to guide it," Saiyun said as the ship lurched forward. "There, he's already got us going. Can you see how Ji and the others are doing?"

In her eyes, the ship was nothing but a fuzzy black outline. "I can't see anyone on deck and they're not swimming towards us. They must still be inside."

"Can you..." Saiyun trailed off, making a frustrated grunt. "Look harder? If it takes them too long they might be too far away to make the swim."

"I can't see through the hull," Yazwa said, rubbing her glowing eyes. "If you're worried, go to the back and listen. You'll hear them jump into the water."

"But we could still be too far away," Saiyun said. The boat trembled and its speed began to slow. "I'm going to have Ijose stop until we have everyone on board."

"Don't-" Yazwa said before a flicker of light in the distance caught her attention. Two points of light appeared in midair, growing brighter as they neared the ship. "Bill! There are two flying summons coming at us from the beach! They're closing in fast!"

"What are they?" Bill asked, running up beside her.

Yazwa squinted, for all the good that did her. "I don't know. They're too far away to tell. But they're coming at us, not the other ship."

"Lucky," Bill said, grabbing Saiyun by the shoulder. "Go below and tell Cai to get up here. You STAY down there. We need that turtle to get us out of here. Get it moving again."

"But what about-?" Saiyun stammered as Bill hauled him across the deck.

Bill shoved him towards the stairs. "They can catch up, now GO!"

Out in the darkness, Yazwa watched the two points of light get closer and closer. "I think...I don't think they're very big," she called out. "Not as big as the ones we fought back on the island. But they look...long?"

"After the sails and the rigging," Bill sighed, peering out into the night. "Everyone, grab a boathook or an oar or anything that will give you reach! Spread out and protect the lines!"

A thrill ran up Yazwa's spine as she reached for the pouch of obsidian blades on her belt. She gathered light in her hand and pressed it against the paddle. Cold white light shone along the blade of the oar and she turned her gaze back to the incoming summons. As they got closer and closer she could make out more features. They were small, no larger than one of the water barrels in the hold. But they had long, flat bodies with dozens of spindly legs running all along their sides. Centipedes! But rather than a long neck, these had batwings running the length of their backs, flapping hard.

She set her feet and held her oar at her side. "They're splitting up, one's coming to the middle, one's going for the front!" The middle summon was coming right for her, and she intended to take it out of the sky with one swing. If it thought the darkness would hide its approach, it was in for a surprise. She just needed to wait for the perfect moment.

The entire ship lurched, and the sea rose up in a great wave, drenching her. She spat out the salty water as a massive blue shape rose out of the water. A frog the size of a bull landed on the deck in front of her, its bulk crushing the railing to splinters. Just as she regained her footing it opened its mouth and shot its tongue at her, latching on to her forearm.

The tongue retracted. Yazwa dug in her heels as it dragged her towards its gaping mouth. With her right arm seized, she swung wildly at the tongue with her left until she connected, slicing it cleanly in two. She sprawled backward onto the deck, coming to a sudden stop. The end of the tongue still attached to her arm snagged on the deck, sharply halting her retreat.

All around her the wispy outlines of the crew fought a desperate battle with the flying centipedes. They zipped through the air, darting forwards, only to be driven back by the crew. "Keep them away from the lines!" Bill bellowed, swinging his boathook at one of the summons. "Yazwa can handle the frog! Keep them away from the lines!"

New strength flowed into Yazwa. She planted her feet and pulled her stuck arm up as hard as she could. The flesh of the tongue gave way with a wet rip and she lurched up, oar raised. Bill was counting on her to take care of the summon. She wouldn't let him down.

The frog fumbled on the edge of the ship, holding tight with its front legs. It let out a deep croak and swung one of its back feet up onto the deck.

Yazwa darted forward and swung her oar at the side of its head. It dug into the frog's flesh and lodged in its body, stuck fast. When she tried to pull it out the frog hauled itself up on deck, making the ship sway again. With all four feet on deck, it lunged towards Yazwa with a headbutt.

She stepped to the side and used the leverage to yank her oar free. After a glance to make sure the light still shone on the blade she pressed the attack again. The frog scrambled to turn and face her, but it was too late. Yazwa thrust her oar into the wound she already made, plunging the blade deep into its body. It hissed and trembled before its body dissolved into a mass of water that splashed to the deck. The force of it was so intense that it swept Yazwa off her feet and over the edge of the ship where the the railing had been shattered.

Seizing a handhold before she was washed overboard, Yazwa clung to the side of the ship until the flow of water stopped. As she climbed to her feet, a gunshot rang out.

The overpowering noise was such a shock that she lost her grip on her vision, and as she blinked through the transition back to normal sight, she realized that Cai had been responsible. Standing firm on the deck, he dropped his smoking pistol, pulling another from his bandoleer as part of the same motion.

The flying centipedes flew around the rigging, but he tracked them through the air, finger on the trigger. Waiting. Finally, one darted towards the rope, and he fired, his pistol belching fire and smoke. The bullet flew through the air, punching through the summon before it could reach its target.

There was a sharp crack, nothing like gunfire, and then the summon exploded. The air used to create it rushed out in all directions, the shock catching its twin and smashing it into the mast. It lost control of its flight, tumbling to the deck where the crew were on it in an instant, smashing it with their oars and boat hooks. It wasn’t long before it, too, was reduced to nothing but a blast of wind.

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"Yeah!" Yazwa screamed, raising her oar high. "We did it!"

"Are there any more?" Bill asked, helping pull the crew to their feet. "Are there any more coming our way?"

Yazwa activated her Sight and looked back over the water. In the distance, a single point of familiar light flickered. "There's another coming. Just one."

Cai picked up his dropped pistol and poured powder down its barrel. "I think we can handle just one."

"I want first shot at it," Yazwa said with a grin, rushing to the edge of the boat, her oar at the ready. As the flying centipede closed in, she saw something strange. Underneath it was a form even darker than the night, except for the angry red streaks that flared within. It was shaped like a human, curled up in the fetal position, and every time a red streak flared, it twitched like it was in pain. "It's holding something...and it's not coming for us anymore."

The summon veered away from their ship, honing in on the black ship to drop the dark form onto the deck.

---

Ji raced into the powder room and grabbed the last barrel. Lifting it with aching arms, she carried it through the door onto the gundeck. "This is the last one."

"Put it in the middle," Aven said, pointing with the knife he was using to cut fuses. The barrels were piled up around the masts three deep, lashed tightly to the wood, some of them along the wall.

"You're making this more complicated than it needs to be Aven," Batro said, closing one of the gunports and lashing it shut. He climbed over one of the cannons to reach the next in line. "We should have splashed around some lantern oil, left a trail of powder, and been done with it."

Ji heaved the barrel into place and dusted stray gunpowder off her hands. "Why are we doing it this way?"

"Because we have to make sure we get the masts.” He thrust a fistful of cannon fuses at her. “Thread these into the barrels with holes in them, then light them. If we hadn’t moved them, it might have just blown out the back of the ship. Sealing the gun ports will make the explosion more powerful too. We’re taking no chances."

"I'm afraid to ask how you know this," Batro said, sealing another gunport.

Aven examined a length of fuse and sliced through it with his knife. "My mother taught me when we got hired to blow up a warehouse. Thick wooden beams like these masts are harder to destroy than you might think."

Ji nodded. Hours spent kicking a tree trunk for training made her inclined to believe him.

Carefully, she pushed the end of a fuse into a barrel, letting the other end dangle. Using a piece of flint and steel, she made sparks until the fuse sputtered to life. "One lit!" she called.

"Good," said Aven, lighting a fuse of his own. "Keep going. I adjusted the lengths, but they should all be lit around the same time."

Ji lit the rest of her fuses, and a smoky haze began to fill the room. "That's all of them," she coughed.

"These are done too," Aven said, stepping back from the pile surrounding the mainmast. "We should have enough time to get back to the ship before it blows."

"Good," Batro said, reaching for the last gunport. "I don't want to be anywhere near here when-- Shit!"

Through the haze, Ji saw Batro recoil from the gunport, his hand on the hilt of his sword. In the blink of an eye, the Korav crawled its way in, its claws scrabbling after Batro as he scrambled away. He staggered backward, tripping over the cannon behind him and falling to the floor.

The Korav broke away from Batro, darting over the guns and around the beams with unnatural speed and grace.

Ji's instincts screamed at her to close distance and pummel it into submission, but she stopped herself. It was too fast. She'd never catch it, not by just chasing it around the gun deck.

Aven darted out of the way as the Korav lunged at one of the barrels, slicing the dangling fuse in half with one swipe.

Everything fell into place.

Ji started shuffling sideways, step by step. The Korav was trying to stop them from blowing the ship up, and the way to do that was to cut the fuses. It would go for the closest barrels first, then ones along the wall. The quickest way to those would be....

Ji stepped into the gap between one of the barrel stacks and a beam, setting her feet.

The Korav darted forward, leaving trails in the smoke as it bore down on her. Her positioning had left it no choice. It had to come at her head-on.

Ji raised her forearms to protect herself as the Korav lashed out. Its claws ripped at her skin, but she held her ground, waiting for an opening. Amid its unrelenting assault, she saw one.

Dropping her guard, she smashed her fist into its stomach.

The feathers did little to cushion the blow and the Korav recoiled in surprise. She pressed the attack, aiming a killing blow at its throat. But the Korav twisted away, catching her stomach with its clawed foot and forcing her back two steps. That was enough for it to get around her, and at the lit fuses that were its goal.

By the time Ji turned, they had all been snuffed out, and the Korav was darting towards her again. She raised her bloody arms and stepped forward. If she could land one hit, she could land another. Fuses could be relit.

A black, hissing object flew past her head, leaving a smoke trail as it sailed through the air. The barrel bounced once on the deck, then rolled into the powder, the short fuse poking from it scattering sparks. The Korav’s claws dug into the floorboards as it pivoted to chase after the barrel, and before Ji could give chase, a hand gripped her shoulder.

"Time to go!" Aven cried, pulling her towards the stairs. "Now!"

Ji hesitated for half a second, then followed his lead. As they sprinted past the rows of cannons Aven smacked one of the hanging lanterns, knocking it off its hook to smash atop one of the barrels. By the time they reached the foot of the stairs, Batro was already halfway up. She and Aven thundered after him, bursting out into the clear night air.. Without breaking stride, they leaped off the side of the boat.

Pain ripped through Ji's arms as the saltwater hit the cuts on her arms. She gritted her teeth and swam faster.

But the only explosion that came wasn’t the one she’d expected.

"Come on, try it!” Cai shouted from the rear of the ship above her, a smoking pistol in either hand. “Jump over! I dare you!"

A rope ladder was thrown over the side of the ship, and Ji climbed up it, followed quickly by Batro and Aven. Her arms burned, and her knees were weak, but she forced herself to stand. "Is it coming?!"

Bill pushed her aside and hauled Aven up after her. "Is that thing going to blow up anytime soon?"

"No," Aven croaked. "It must have put out the fire again. It’s too fast! The powder is all there, but there's nothing to light it!"

"Yazwa! Saiyun!” Bill shouted. “What do you see?"

Yazwa's golden eyes glittered in the darkness. "No summons in the air!"

"Their boats just hit the water!" Saiyun called. "Two of them, heading right for us!"

Bill took a deep breath as Batro pulled himself up on deck. "We have to go back over. The only way we get out of here is if we take out that ship. Cai, can you hit that thing?"

"I could if it tried to jump or over!" Cai called, a freshly loaded pistol in his hand. "I took a shot, and now it's hiding."

"I hit it," Ji said, holding up her fist. "We can win!"

Bill looked back to the island and the two longboats, approaching fast. "I go over first," he said, pointing at the other ship. "I distract it. You all come help. Swarm it, kill it, blow the ship, get out."

Aven slashed a hand through the air. "By the time you get up the side, it'll tear you apart."

"I'll go with you!" Ji offered.

"No no, I need a fast climber. SAIYUN!" Bill bellowed. "Get up here!"

Saiyun ran up, eyes wide. "What is it?"

"Forget the turtle. I need Jado. He can carry me up the side of the ship quick enough so the Korav doesn't rip me apart. Once we're up, we'll hold it off until the others make it over.” Bill shoved him, hard. “Don't stand there with your mouth open! Do it!"

"I...no.”

“What do you mean, no?!” Bil roared.

Saiyun hurriedly reached into his pack and pulled out Jado's summoning doll. "Wait, just… I chose Jado because it can be summoned from dead wood."

"What about it?" Bill snapped.

Saiyun held out the doll to Bill. "Do you think you could hit the other ship if you threw this?"

Bill blinked, then a wicked grin spread across his face as he reached for the doll. "If I’m lucky! If anyone wants to say any prayers, now's a good time!"

Ji squeezed her eyes shut and clapped her hands together as Bill threw the doll. "En Chitei, bless the winds!"

Everyone held their breath as the doll flew in a high arc, then struck the enemy ship near the prow. The sound of creaking wood rippled through the night, and Ji, unsure what had just happened, rushed to the edge.

The other boat lurched, and below it, Jado was there, splashing in the water. There was a huge hole in the front of the ship at the waterline, and then she understood. The wood for Jado's body had come from the enemy ship.

A wild, hysterical cheer erupted from the crew as they came to the same realization. The job was done.

"Let's get out of here!" bellowed Bill.

---

Letao lounged on the beach, leaning against a palm tree. In the shallows was her crippled ship, beached with the help of a few of her summons. The crew was busy on the beach, dragging trees from the interior of the island to hack up into lumber to patch the massive hole. They only had a few of the needed tools, so the work was slow going, which wasn't the worst thing in the world. It was a chance to rest and relax after the chaotic night that had stranded them here. Everyone needed a little break now and then, and it was only temporary after all. Shame the Captain couldn't see that.

Speaking of her own personal stormcloud, the Captain was scowling down at her shady spot. "Best estimate is another two weeks before we can sail. We have more than enough food to last us that long, especially with what we can hunt on the island and fish out of the sea."

Letao got to her feet and dusted off her red robes. "That's a good report, Captain. Why the sour face?"

The Captain fixed her with a glare. "Six men dead. Three summoning manuals, stolen. The vials, gone. Our ship, nearly destroyed, and our return DELAYED BY A MONTH. This is a disaster, and you're acting like..."

"Oh spare me," Letao scoffed. "We've had a few setbacks, but we've more than made up for it. Like I've been saying, those cannons are worth their weight in gold, and we can get most of them back to port once we get rid of the ballast. A few summoning manuals and the vials are hardly worth bothering yourself about.” She leaned forward, a smile on her lips. “Even better, we found Azun's son."